The Agreements for Life – an Interview with don Miguel Ruiz

By Jill Virginia Mangino

When I first saw don Miguel in person, live, in the flesh, I felt a deep recognition, that he was “soul” family. I thought to myself “hmmm maybe we had a past life together?” I just felt like I knew him… my heart was so full, I was so “high”, I was in “love” and subsequently I thought I needed to be near him to feel that love. He became my spiritual teacher, the Ruizes; my surrogate family and I spent a lot of time traveling to Mexico, attending his events and even promoting some his books for his publisher Amber-Allen.

As I was preparing for this interview don Miguel, I realized that all this time he was not my “Guru” or teacher more… my Mirror; a mirror to reflect back to me my own love, my own beauty, my own light –Life itself. I had a wonderful moment of feeling that I am just so happy to be alive …that is enough. When I shared my “aha” moment with don Miguel he said, “Ok honey, so what are you going to do now?” I sheepishly answered, “nothing?” He replied, “Exactly!” I could tell he was pleased. I laughed so hard. I questioned, “So it is like a cosmic joke? We keep searching and searching for this truth and it is really just about being alive in gratitude?”

“Truth” he explained, “ Can’t be shared once you try to use language to describe it … it is no longer true.” He held up that mirror to show me, I could create my own reality, dream a new dream … So when I shared my aha moment …he said “so ok now you can choose to be happy or stupid.” We laughed again.

According to don Miguel, NOW it is time for us create New Agreements for ourselves and for our planet to really dream a new world into being. He has recently launch a new on-line course entitled The Agreements for Life which includes 30 profound lessons via video, a companion workbook to support you in applying the lessons and a daily prayer.

My interview with don Miguel:

JVM: You have written many internationally bestselling books including of course your classic The Four Agreements … do you have a favorite?

DMR: All my book are my favorites … however, I really like my Book of Prayers because it leads me step by step to the most important relationship, which is with myself. I am the love of my life, the marriage between my mind and my body.

JVM: How does prayer work?

DMR: Every prayer is an agreement with yourself, the mind is asking the real you, which is LIFE, to guide your decisions for every single choice that you make. My personal prayer is just my joy to be alive to live in gratitude and generosity. For me personally I don’t pray using words, it is just with my intent.

JVM: Do you have a daily spiritual practice?

DMR: I live everyday full of gratitude for the body in which I live treating it with great love and respect. It allows me to enjoy life experiencing everything that I perceive and exploring the events that hook my attention; modifying what I can change and letting go whatever I cannot change.

JVM: What makes you happy?

DMR: What makes me the happiest are the times I get together with my family. Those times when I am with my children, grandchildren, my brothers and sisters and my very close friends, as well as, when I am with my extended family in each one of my lectures and power journeys. My greatest joy is just to be alive!

JVM: Can you tell me about your latest project: The Agreements for Life?

DMR: It is a program to help people to become more and more authentic. I created the program because most people say the five agreements are very simple; but difficult to apply. The Agreements for Life is taking everyone step-by-step to their own authenticity. It consists of 30 short videos with a prayer included and homework assignments.

don Miguel Ruiz, M.D. is author of The Four Agreements®, published in 1997, it was a New York Times bestseller for more than 7 years and the 36th best selling book of the decade. His other internationally, bestselling books that have followed include: The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, Prayers, and The Fifth Agreement, a collaboration with his son don Jose Ruiz. His highly anticipated new on-line program The Agreements for Life™ is now available at miguelruiz.com

About Jill Mangino

Jill V. Mangino is a freelance publicist, writer, President of Circle 3 Media and a Creatrix in the Matrix. – circle3media.com